


Domestic Bliss

by allytonobody



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28037070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allytonobody/pseuds/allytonobody
Summary: Cal has a surprise for Simon. Simon just hopes it's not another bogmangler.
Relationships: Original D&D Character(s)/Original D&D Character(s)





	Domestic Bliss

"Where are we going?" Simon asked, holding tight to Cal's hand and following the bob of his boyfriend's blond hair as he led him through bustling city streets. If he got lost here, he didn't know how he'd find him again. At least, that's what he would have said before the advent of the shell phone. 

Still, he didn't like the thought of being alone for even a minute in this place. It reminded him too much of the time he'd spent living on the street, watching people walk by, their eyes passing over him as if he weren't even there. Just another drow kid, down on his luck. Nothing to see. Nothing of importance. 

"You'll see!" Cal said, the wide grin on his face bringing Simon out of his dark thoughts. "It'll be worth it, I promise." 

"I'm holding you to that," Simon said, casting another nervous glance around at the people they were passing. He kept a hand on his coin pouch the whole time. In a crowd like this, it would be easy for a pickpocket to make off with what little money he had. 

"This way," Cal said suddenly, rounding a corner. 

"Where are we-" Simon started to ask. 

Cal stopped and pointed to a ladder leading up toward the roof. "Up there," he said. 

Simon examined the ladder skeptically. It appeared to be made of steel, but it looked a bit rickety. "Are you sure this is safe?" he asked. 

"Would I ask you to do this if it wasn't safe?" Cal asked in reply. 

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Well, there was that time you asked me to go for a picnic in the woods and we almost got eaten by bogmanglers," he reminded him. 

Cal grimaced. "In my defense, bogmanglers aren't native to woodland! How was I supposed to know it was their annual migration?" 

Simon rolled his eyes. "And that time you followed a wisp into a dragon's lair and I had to drag your ass out of there." 

Cal waved his hand dismissively and started to scale the ladder. "It was a juvenile! It couldn't even breathe fire yet." 

"It still had several rows of dagger-like teeth!" Simon exclaimed, shuddering at the memory. 

Cal glanced back down at him. "I would have described them as more 'needle-like,' if I'm being honest." 

Simon crossed his arms. "Right. And what about the-" 

"Can't hear you!" Cal called down. "You're gonna have to follow me!" 

Simon gritted his teeth and started up the ladder. It swayed slightly as he put his weight on it. "I don't know why I go along with this!" he called up to Cal. 

Cal laughed. "I dunno, you must like me or something!" 

Simon blushed and continued to climb. He focused on the space right above him and moved slowly upward. If he didn't look down, he couldn't think about how much it would suck if the whole thing suddenly collapsed. It didn't help that the ladder trembled like a sapling in a storm every time he grasped a new rung. 

"If I die here today-" he called. He looked up and saw that Cal had disappeared. There was an open window several feet up from his current position. He shifted his weight slightly to grab the next rung and the ladder swayed again. "Gods fucking damn it to to deepest hell-" he hissed under his breath. He reached a shaking hand upward. "Calvert, I _do not_ like this!" he announced. 

Cal peeked out of the window. "Just a few more feet, babe. I swear, it'll be worth it." 

Simon didn't see how that was possible, but he steeled his nerves and climbed the last few feet. Cal helped him in through the window and he instantly collapsed, trembling, to the floor. "I'm never doing that again," he groaned. 

Cal crouched beside him and patted his cheek. "Poor thing," he said sympathetically. "We'll just take the stairs down." 

"There are _stairs?"_ Simon exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. "Then why the hells did you make me climb in a gods damned window?" 

Cal pouted. Looking into his warm brown eyes, Simon was reminded why he could never stay mad at him for long. "I wanted it to be a surprise!" he said. 

"Wanted what to be a-" Simon looked around the room for the first time and his jaw dropped. It was a large room, nearly the size of the one they were staying in at the emperor's mansion, and the decorations looked _oddly_ familiar. "Is that my lute?" he asked. "So you _did_ know where it went. What- why did you bring it here?" He looked up at Cal, puzzled. "What is this place?" 

Cal gave him a nervous smile. "Our…new room? I just-- I know it stresses you out staying at the mansion and figured you could use a place to get away from Cervid and all those rich assholes, so…do you like it?" 

Simon's jaw dropped. "Do I-" He looked around the room again. It was lightly furnished, but it would do. Cal had decorated the walls and every inch of the table space with souvenirs of their time together. Simon recognized a twig from one of the bogmanglers they had bested, a tooth he'd scooped up off the floor of the dragon's lair, and a venus fly trap Cal had found for him in the woods outside the city, among other things. 

"You brought Randy," he said. He placed his hand over his heart, genuinely touched. 

"Of course!" Cal exclaimed. "I know how you hate flies, and Randy's practically our son at this point, so-" 

Simon hopped to his feet and threw his arms around his boyfriend. "I love it," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "Thank you."

Cal hugged him back. "You're welcome," he said. "I'm glad you like it. And-" 

A loud _THUMP_ interrupted whatever he was going to say next. 

He and Simon both looked at the window, then at each other, then at the window again. 

"Uh," Simon said. 

The two of them crept over to the window and looked down at the street. 

"What the hells is that thing?" Simon whispered. 

"I don't know. Do you think it's dead?" Cal replied, looking concerned. 

Just then, the thing leaped to its feet, making them both gasp. It shook out its whole body, sending a few bright yellow feathers fluttering to the ground. Then it looked up at them. Where a face should have been, there was a shining bronze oval with two wide white eyes embedded in the surface. 

It squeaked and jumped, as if startled, then extended two oddly shaped, bony wings and rocketed unevenly into the sky. It bounced off the wall of the building opposite their window, squawked again, and then disappeared around the corner. 

"Wow," Cal said. "They've got some weirdass birds around here." 

"No fucking kidding," Simon agreed. He shook his head and turned back to the room. "Anyway! How did you _afford_ this place?" 

"I sold my body," Cal deadpanned. 

Simon crossed his arms and gave him an unamused look. 

Cal grinned. "Okay, fine. I had some money left over from the store and I've set up a stall in the marketplace. Should be a fairly steady paycheck, once I get up and running."

Simon frowned. "Ah, shit. I'd better find a job." 

Cal shushed him and pulled him into another hug. "That," he said, "sounds like a problem for future Simon. For now, can't we just enjoy our new home?" 

Simon smiled. "Well. I guess so." He kissed Cal's cheek. "I'm still mad about the ladder." 

Cal laughed. "No you're not." 

"I'm a _little_ mad," Simon insisted. Then after a moment, he relented. "Okay, I guess I forgive you. But _don't_ make me do that again." 

Cal grinned. "All right, all right." He pulled away from Simon and walked over to pick up his lute. "Wanna play me a song and piss off our new neighbors?"

Simon sighed and reached out to take the lute. "The trouble you get us into..." 

"The trouble you _let_ me get us into," Cal said in an affectionate, sing-song voice. 

They sat on the edge of the bed. Simon found familiar chords on his lute, and began to play a song. 

Cal lay back on the bed with a contented sigh. 

Simon let himself enjoy the momentary peace. He was sure something would come along to shatter it soon, be it his obnoxious sister, demons, or, knowing his luck, some unspeakable ancient evil, but for now, it was just him, Cal, and a bit of pleasant music. He could get used to this. 


End file.
